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+ A World of Sound
+ Monkey Business
+ Local Barometer
+ Reasons To Be Cheerful
+ Wing Back Chairs
+ Lost & Found
+ Media Mediators
+ Weegie
+ Black Beacon Receiver
+ Background & Projects
+ Information
| Monkey Business Manchester Museum / 2003 collaboration with Kate Davis |
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A temporary re-interpretation of the Hall of Mammals at the Museum of Manchester, England, as part of Explore Expand Exchange, a project conceived & curated by Artefact Projects. A classic example of the Victorian natural history museum exhibition style, the hall and its contents have remained largely untouched for over 100 years. The television wildlife documentary's ubiquity and increased level of contact with 'exotic' animals on holiday - safari etc - mean that the collection now asks different questions... |
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| The intervention consisted of an audio installation, designed to
allow visitors to 'eavesdrop' on the different conversations
unfolding between various occupants of the Primates case. |
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| More commonly used to allow hearing aid wearers to pick up amplified signals in public spaces such as cinemas, post offices etc, 6 audio induction loops were attached to the inside of the case. Each loop was concealed within a coloured vinyl graphic motif, affixed to the inside of the glass. | |||
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By incorporating the induction loops physically into the graphic emblems, the vinyl loops act as audio-visual frames for the particular animals we chose to animate. By peering through each coloured portal, the appropriate soundtrack is revealed. Wearing a specially designed headset pack the visitor approaches the case and starts to hear the audio tracks - the closer one is to the loops, the louder one hears the audio. |
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Each loop contains only one conversation, looped permanently, generally about 10 minutes long. Standing back from the case in between 2 loops the visitor can hear both conversations, and just as in real life has to choose which sounds most interesting - only a physical approach reveals the origin of the dialogue: each visitor is his own volume control. |
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Concerning the difference between man and his primate cousins: intellectual superiority, morality, boredom and the etiquette of farting in a confined space |
In which the marmoset frightens the others with his detailed knowledge & descriptions of the history and process of taxidermy. Link made with the Egyptian mummies in adjoining hall. |
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The campfire setting allows for story-telling in the round. Examining the iconic and religious significance, mythology, lore and legend surrounding monkeys & apes from different cultures around the world. We have on good authority the tragic irony that sacred cows make the best burgers. |
About self-image, body consciousness, ageing and decrepitude - refers to other exhibits in hall... |
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© opensq 2008